Petroleum Questions & Answer:
1. How do we get petroleum?
a. Crude oil formed from fossil fuels that are covered by layers of sand and silt
i. Heat and pressure confined it into oil
ii. Petroleum means “rock oil” “oil from the earth”
b. Underground areas found in reservoirs and scientist drill there to get it
c. Oil produced in Russia, Saudi Arabia, US, Iran, China
i. Top states in US are: Texas, Alaska, California, Louisiana, and North Dakota
d. Exclusive Economic Zone
i. Border of US 200 miles out from land
ii. Federal government manages land under the sea for the US
iii. Extract minerals from ocean floor
1. Crude oil, natural gas, and minerals all come from ocean floor
e. After crude oil is removed: sent to refinery
i. Factory that can occupy lots of land
1. Separation, conversion, and treatment, and storage
ii. Crude oil separated into useable petroleum products
1. The most is Gasoline and Diesel
Oil Rig:
Land Oil Rig:
Oil Refinery:
Oil Tanker:
2. How long will it last?
This depends on the worldwide production growth rate of oil, the growth of discovered oil reserves, and whether or not we will use unconventional petroleum resources. Unconventional petroleum resources include heavy oil, oil sands and oil shale. The supply of oil will last 70 years considering future reserve growth and assuming a production growth of 2% (which is slightly above the average annual production growth over the past several decades). Considering all the unconventional petroleum sources, the supply will last 132 years. (http://www.energypolicyblog.com/2008/11/23/how-long-will-petroleum-resources-last/) Heavy oil is a type of crude oil that is thinker and doesn’t flow easily. Oil sands, or tar sands, are thick deposits that can be made into oil, but not very easily. ( http://www.energybulletin.net/node/7331) Oil shales are sedimentary rocks that can be turned into a petroleum-like substance through the chemical process of pyrolisis. This process is more complex and expensive than traditional oil extraction. ( http://ostseis.anl.gov/guide/oilshale/)
Heavy Oil:
Oil Sands:
Oil Shale:
3. How efficient is it?
Energy efficiency: October 2009 – 9.81 cents per kilowatt hour ( http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/electricity/epm/epm_sum.html)
4. Is it available/accessible?
It is accessible, but it has to be piped up out of the ground. Since the infrastructure has been built to pipe it out of the ground, it is easy to access it. However, it is only underground in certain parts of the world, so political factors may limit the availability of oil.
5. What are the environmental effects of petroleum?
a. Hurts the wildlife and ecosystems
-Air pollution with machinery
-Drilling
-Waste energy transporting and using the machinery
b. Air pollution/ excess carbon
-Oil Fires
-Also burned for energy
c. Soil and Water pollution
-Refinery byproducts
-Heated water
-Transporting refined and unrefined oils
-Spills that can also spread across water
-Exxon Valdez
-Wildlife is killed by the petroleum coating or poisoned
d. Dangerous gasses
-C02, S02 (acid rain,) (http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/kids/energy.cfm?page=oil_home-basics)
6. What are effects on people?
a. Makes life easier for humans
i. Fuel airplanes and cars and trucks
ii. Heats our homes
iii. Makes products like medicines and plastics
b. Hurts health and standard of living
i. Contaminants the environment
1. Water, and food
2. Ex: Damage in the Niger delta ( http://www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-updates/news/oil-industry-has-brought-poverty-and-pollution-to-niger-delta-20090630)
ii. Harms fish and animals that we consume
1. Through oil spills and pollution
2. Also damages fishing equipment
iii. Damages agricultural land
1. Damages soil fertility
a. More than 60% depend on the natural environment for livelihood and pollution by oil is destroying this source they need to live
c. Shortage of petroleum
i. Cost increases in all goods
ii. Used in everything
iii. Higher oil prices
1. Causes inflation
2. Oil generated $600 billion since the 1960s
3. Economy depends on oil as main source of energy
a. The fossil fuel that has the least reserves
b. Have to prepare in case it runs out because so dependent on it
i. Would try to switch to natural gas or wind
d. Health disorders from petroleum based chemicals
Pesticides in homes and yards
1. Modern bed mattress are made of it harming children
2. Petroleum jelly used in cosmetics
1. How do we get petroleum?
a. Crude oil formed from fossil fuels that are covered by layers of sand and silt
i. Heat and pressure confined it into oil
ii. Petroleum means “rock oil” “oil from the earth”
b. Underground areas found in reservoirs and scientist drill there to get it
c. Oil produced in Russia, Saudi Arabia, US, Iran, China
i. Top states in US are: Texas, Alaska, California, Louisiana, and North Dakota
d. Exclusive Economic Zone
i. Border of US 200 miles out from land
ii. Federal government manages land under the sea for the US
iii. Extract minerals from ocean floor
1. Crude oil, natural gas, and minerals all come from ocean floor
e. After crude oil is removed: sent to refinery
i. Factory that can occupy lots of land
1. Separation, conversion, and treatment, and storage
ii. Crude oil separated into useable petroleum products
1. The most is Gasoline and Diesel
Oil Rig:
Land Oil Rig:
Oil Refinery:
Oil Tanker:
2. How long will it last?
This depends on the worldwide production growth rate of oil, the growth of discovered oil reserves, and whether or not we will use unconventional petroleum resources. Unconventional petroleum resources include heavy oil, oil sands and oil shale. The supply of oil will last 70 years considering future reserve growth and assuming a production growth of 2% (which is slightly above the average annual production growth over the past several decades). Considering all the unconventional petroleum sources, the supply will last 132 years. (http://www.energypolicyblog.com/2008/11/23/how-long-will-petroleum-resources-last/ ) Heavy oil is a type of crude oil that is thinker and doesn’t flow easily. Oil sands, or tar sands, are thick deposits that can be made into oil, but not very easily. ( http://www.energybulletin.net/node/7331 ) Oil shales are sedimentary rocks that can be turned into a petroleum-like substance through the chemical process of pyrolisis. This process is more complex and expensive than traditional oil extraction. ( http://ostseis.anl.gov/guide/oilshale/ )
Heavy Oil:
Oil Sands:
Oil Shale:
3. How efficient is it?
Energy efficiency: October 2009 – 9.81 cents per kilowatt hour ( http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/electricity/epm/epm_sum.html )
4. Is it available/accessible?
It is accessible, but it has to be piped up out of the ground. Since the infrastructure has been built to pipe it out of the ground, it is easy to access it. However, it is only underground in certain parts of the world, so political factors may limit the availability of oil.
5. What are the environmental effects of petroleum?
a. Hurts the wildlife and ecosystems
-Air pollution with machinery
-Drilling
-Waste energy transporting and using the machinery
b. Air pollution/ excess carbon
-Oil Fires
-Also burned for energy
c. Soil and Water pollution
-Refinery byproducts
-Heated water
-Transporting refined and unrefined oils
-Spills that can also spread across water
-Exxon Valdez
-Wildlife is killed by the petroleum coating or poisoned
d. Dangerous gasses
-C02, S02 (acid rain,) (http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/kids/energy.cfm?page=oil_home-basics)
6. What are effects on people?
a. Makes life easier for humans
i. Fuel airplanes and cars and trucks
ii. Heats our homes
iii. Makes products like medicines and plastics
b. Hurts health and standard of living
i. Contaminants the environment
1. Water, and food
2. Ex: Damage in the Niger delta ( http://www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-updates/news/oil-industry-has-brought-poverty-and-pollution-to-niger-delta-20090630 )
ii. Harms fish and animals that we consume
1. Through oil spills and pollution
2. Also damages fishing equipment
iii. Damages agricultural land
1. Damages soil fertility
a. More than 60% depend on the natural environment for livelihood and pollution by oil is destroying this source they need to live
c. Shortage of petroleum
i. Cost increases in all goods
ii. Used in everything
iii. Higher oil prices
1. Causes inflation
2. Oil generated $600 billion since the 1960s
3. Economy depends on oil as main source of energy
a. The fossil fuel that has the least reserves
b. Have to prepare in case it runs out because so dependent on it
i. Would try to switch to natural gas or wind
d. Health disorders from petroleum based chemicals
Pesticides in homes and yards
1. Modern bed mattress are made of it harming children
2. Petroleum jelly used in cosmetics